Richard Dawkins radio event cancelled at Berkeley - Here we go again

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40710165

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has denied Islamophobia after a US radio station cancelled his forthcoming speech.

The best-selling author had been due to address an event hosted by KPFA Radio in Berkeley, California, in August.

Organisers accused him of "abusive speech against Islam" when scrapping his appearance, but he argues his criticism was not directed at Islam.

He called on the station to review his past remarks and apologise.

In a letter to ticket-holders, the publicly funded radio station wrote: "We had booked this event based entirely on his excellent new book on science, when we didn't know he had offended and hurt - in his tweets and other comments on Islam, so many people."

The station, which is not affiliated with the University of California, said in a letter - which Mr Dawkins published online - that it does not support "hurtful" or "abusive speech".

It also apologised "for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkins views much earlier".

Local media report that Bay Area residents had brought attention to statements made by the author of the anti-religion book The God Delusion, including a 2013 tweet saying "Islam is the greatest force for evil in the world today".

In an open letter to organisers, Professor Dawkins wrote that he "never used abusive speech against Islam".

He said harsh statements he has made in the past have been directed at "IslamISM" - apparently referring to those who use the religion for political objectives - and not adherents of the faith.

"I have criticised the appalling misogyny and homophobia of Islam, I have criticised the murdering of apostates for no crime other than their disbelief," Professor Dawkins writes.

He also pointed out that he has been a "frequent critic of Christianity but have never been de-platformed for that".

He describes listening to KPFA "almost every day" during the two years he lived in Berkeley, adding that "I especially admired your habit of always quoting sources".

"You conspicuously did not quote a source when accusing me of 'abusive speech'.

"Why didn't you check your facts - or at least have the common courtesy to alert me - before summarily cancelling my event?"

Professor Dawkins' book about the study of evolution, The Selfish Gene, was named last week by the Royal Society as the most influential science book of all time.

Known as the home of the Free Speech moment in the 1960s, Berkeley has recently left that reputation in doubt as far-left protesters have sought to silence speakers and academics with whom they disagree.

Conservative authors Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos have each clashed with the University of California after events where they were due to speak were cancelled by the college administration out of fear for public safety.
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Big Dick Rich Dawkins has gotten himself into more hot water. What a guy.
 
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BBC said:
Known as the home of the Free Speech moment in the 1960s, Berkeley has recently left that reputation in doubt as far-left protesters have sought to silence speakers and academics with whom they disagree.

Conservative authors Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos have each clashed with the University of California after events where they were due to speak were cancelled by the college administration out of fear for public safety.
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How bizarrely accurate and un-editorialised from the BBC. One of the few times I've ever seen them use the term "far-left". Guess someone's getting fired.
 
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Hortator said:
@Null should book an event at Berkeley
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Null at Berkeley.png
 
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Feline Darkmage said:
It'll always baffle me that this is what became of the home of the Free Speech Movement. And how the far-left will be willing to defend the far-right ideologies that are Wahhabism and Salafism.
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Whatever, God Speed. One day Islamic zealots will get sick of the white hipsters trying to join the flock and do the most insane awesome hate crimes possible once they don't need the blue vote base anymore. They can already tell that sucking up to the left is a double edge sword now that parade signs like "Allah is gay" is coming out into mainstream media to their displeasure. So many beta bald white tranny being like "Why are you driving a bus into me? I defended you on the internet!"

Sounds pretty sweet, imo.
 
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raymond said:
This is what happens when you have an entire generation whose ideology is rooted in rebelling against their parents rather than any real principles.
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There was always teen rebellion and older generations complaining about "kids today"
So that in and of itself doesn't cause something this nonsensical.
 
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Maybe they confused him with Christopher Hitchens, who took a harder line toward Islam than Richard Dawkins. Easy mistake to make, two British academicians and all.
 
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